Petunia plant named ‘Fort Purple Vein’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Fort Purple Vein’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and mounded growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large light violet-colored flowers with prominent dark violet-colored venation; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fort Purple Vein’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fort Purple Vein’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching Petunia cultivars with early and freely flowering habit, and unique and attractive flower color.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2006 in De Lier, The Netherlands of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Petunia×hybrida, not patented. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fort Purple Vein’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fort Purple Vein’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounded growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large light violet-colored flowers with prominent dark         violet-colored venation.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading than         and not as upright as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have pink-colored venation.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in time to flower as plants of the new Petunia flower earlier than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of Petunia×hybrida ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more upright than plants of         ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Petunia had more pronounced         venation than flowers of ‘Fortunia Blue Vein’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fort Purple Vein’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the spring and early summer in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. Rooted young plants had been growing for twelve weeks when the photograph and description were taken. Plants used for the description were grown in 10.5-cm containers. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida ‘Fort Purple Vein’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Petunia×hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six to eight days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19             days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to             three weeks at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             mounding growth habit. Freely branching habit with about six             primary lateral branches each with multiple secondary             lateral branches; pinching is typically not required.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 28 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 16 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm to 3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1 mm to 1.5 mm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.         -   Color.—Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent;             viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation,             close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 143B; venation, darker than 143B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Relatively large salverforn             flowers arranged singly arising from leaf axils. Freely             flowering habit with usually about 50 flowers developing per             plant. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright to             outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring into the autumn in The Netherlands. Plants typically             beginning flowering about 6.5 weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 5.5 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 3 cm.         -   Tube diameter, base.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About             3.7 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: Close to 149B overlain             with close to 79B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 5.5 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.8 cm. Petal shape:             Spatulate. Petal apex: Retuse. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture:             Densely pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 85D; venation, close to 83A.             Petal, when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 85C; venation, between 83C and 79A. Throat: Darker than             83A; venation, close to N79A. Tube: Close to 83A; venation,             close to N79A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             1.9 cm. Sepal width: About 4 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly             oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal base: Cuneate. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Densely pubescent; viscid. Color, immature and mature, upper             surface: Close to 143A. Color, immature and mature, lower             surface: Close to 143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm.             Angle: Erect to about 40° from stem axis. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid.             Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 2 cm. Filament color: Between 157B             and 156B. Anther shape: Broadly reniform. Anther length:             About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 162A. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 158A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About             1.3 cm. Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Flattened,             three-lobed. Stigma color: Close to 137A. Ovary color: Close             to 144C.         -   Fruits/seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Fort Purple Vein’ as illustrated and described. 